Tape Me Up Redux
by gglovebug
Summary: GSR. Response to an Unbound Improv Challenge. Sitting tied up in a car sinking to the bottom of Lake Mead wasn't quite how Sara had planned to spend her day off.


Disclaimer: All rights to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its characters belong to CBS/Alliance Atlantis/Jerry Bruckheimer Television/Anthony E. Zuiker. No copyright infringement is intended.

Spoilers: Crate and Burial  
Rating: G with a bit of fluff  
Summary: An experiment makes Grissom see Sara in a new light.

A/N: This is my response to the Unbound Improv Challenge of 07/06/04. The first and last lines are provided, and there is a 1,000 word limit.

XxxOOOxxX

**Sitting tied up in a car sinking to the bottom of Lake Mead wasn't quite how Sara had planned to spend her day off.**

It all started innocently enough when Grissom called her at home to ask if she would like to help him with an experiment.

"I know it's your day off… and I'm always telling you to relax and find diversions… but I've got this theory… and I really need..." On the surface Grissom was actually trying to sound considerate, but beneath all the apologies was a distinctive boyish enthusiasm that Sara had never been able to resist.

She interrupted him in mid-sentence, "Experiment? You know I'm there. Meet you at the lab in half an hour."

"No. I'm over at Lake Mead Marina. Oh… uh… bring your swimsuit."

"My swimsuit?" Sara asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Yes."

"But it's like 60 degrees outside today. Exactly what kind of experiment do you have in mind, Gris?"

"Don't worry. If I'm right, you won't be in the water long." And with that Grissom closed his cell phone leaving Sara slack-jawed at the other end.

"Well, he's never seen me in a bathing suit before. Maybe getting a glimpse of a little skin will wake him up." Sara smiled to herself as she got her things together and headed out the door of her apartment.

XxxOOOxxX

When Sara arrived at the Marina, she wasn't surprised to see the place practically deserted. After all, it was a weekday and a chilly one at that. However, she did find Grissom's Tahoe parked by the dock in front of the floating restaurant and in the middle of the boat ramp was a purple PT Cruiser tethered to a very large tow truck by a fat steel cable emerging from the boom at the back of the truck. Grissom was bent over checking the connections between the two vehicles when Sara interrupted him.

"So, what is the hypothesis we're testing today, Dr. Grissom?" she teased.

Grissom straightened, and then smiled at Sara as he rubbed his hands together to wipe off the dirt from the steel cable.

"The victim was attacked and robbed while exiting the restaurant here after she closed up for the day. She states her assailant then tied her up in her car, which he then drove to the edge of the ramp, got out, and pushed into the lake, leaving her to drown."

"Obviously she didn't, or she wouldn't have been able to tell you that."

"Very astute, Miss Sidle." Grissom retorted with a smirk on his face, and then continued, "I have doubts as to the validity of her story. If she was bound as she said, I don't believe she could have escaped the vehicle in the amount of time she would have had before running out of air, which for the average female is 50-60 seconds. If that is the case…"

"…then it was a staged. But… why?"

"I'm not worried about the _why_ yet… just the _how_. But her bank records show she owed more money on the car than it was worth. Perhaps a little insurance fraud?"

"Hmm. Sounds plausible. So where does that put me in this experiment, Gris?"

Grissom turned his head slightly and looked at the Cruiser, then back at Sara. "Care to go for a little swim?"

Sara's eyebrows shot up and a smile began to form, "You're going to recreate the 'crime' with _me_ in the car?"

"Only if you're comfortable with this. I'll need to restrain your hands as the victim states her attacker did. We'll then let the car begin to sink into the lake, during which time you'll need to try and exit the vehicle with your hands bound. I'll wait no longer than 60 seconds. If you're not out by then, we'll use the winch to pull you back up. The Cruiser will be attached to the tow truck the entire time." Grissom looked at Sara questioningly.

"Well, it sounds like you've got it all worked out… Sure. I trust you."

Grissom still had a bit of a worried expression on his face. "Are you sure? Everything has been checked for safety, but I don't want you to do anything that you feel unsure about."

Sara was touched by Grissom's concern, so she didn't want to let him know that she jumped at the chance to do anything with a little danger involved as she loved the adrenaline rush and didn't get the chance often. Besides, she wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to see Grissom's expression when she stripped down to her bathing suit.

"It's fine, Gris, really. Let's do it."

With that Sara went over to her car and began taking off her street clothes having already put her suit on at home. Grissom came around the back of her car holding a wetsuit in his hand. Sara only caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye, but there was no mistaking the sound of his sharp intake of breath, nor his feet coming to a quick stop beside her. Sara turned her head to see Grissom taking her in from head to toe, mouth slightly agape. When his gaze returned to Sara's eyes, he realized how obvious his appraisal of her body had been and began to blush ever so slightly.

"Um… here… this should keep you a little warmer."

Sara smiled widely, pleased that her plan seemed to have worked. "Thanks."

XxxOOOxxX

Sara sat in the driver's side of the Cruiser, Grissom using duct tape to bind her hands together. Grissom couldn't help but be reminded of the time when Sara first came to Vegas and she had asked him to tape her up to prove a theory on the case they were working. He recalled how she had looked up at him with her beautiful smile; it was all he could do then not to kiss her on the spot. And now, here she was, giving him that same smile. Even though it was a chilly day, he felt extremely warm all of a sudden.

"Okay. Ready?"

"Yeah. Just don't forget to pull me up, alright?" Sara teased.

"Don't worry." Grissom shut the door as he turned to the tow truck driver and told him to release the winch so that the steel cable would become slack on the Cruiser. He then walked behind the vehicle and pushed it into the lake. As he stood back and watched it begin to sink, he started the timer on his watch.

"10 seconds… 20 seconds… 30 seconds…" Still no sign of Sara exiting the vehicle.

"40 seconds… 50 seconds… Okay, re-engage the winch and start pulling her in." Grissom yelled back to the tow truck driver.

The driver nodded and pulled back the handle. There was a loud cracking noise, followed by the steel cable going completely slack.

Irritated, Grissom shouted, "What are you doing? I said _re_-engage, not _dis_-engage. Pull her in!"

The driver had a sick look on his face as he stared at Grissom. "I can't… it must have… slipped off!"

"What?" Grissom cried. Immediately he dove into the lake.

The water was cold and dark, but Grissom managed to make out the vehicle only a few feet below the surface. Fortunately, the vehicle had been down long enough for the pressure to equalize between the inside and outside of the car and he was able to pull the door open fairly easily. He could make out Sara inside, but she wasn't moving. He yanked at her, pulling her out of the vehicle and to the surface of the water. As soon as Grissom broke the surface he shouted at the tow truck driver on the ramp.

"Grab a blanket out of the back of my truck and lay it down on the ramp!"

The driver didn't hesitate as he ran towards the truck, grabbed the blanket, and ran back as Grissom dragged Sara out of the water and laid her gently onto the blanket. Dripping, he leaned over her still form and listened for breathing. When at first he didn't hear any breaths, he shouted again at the driver, "Call 911" and began performing mouth to mouth resuscitation.

In between breaths, Grissom whispered to Sara, "Come on, Sara, come back to me. Don't leave me now."

He continued his breaths, a sick feeling in his stomach. Finally, Sara began to cough and he placed her on her side so that she could expel any water she had swallowed.

"Sara… Sara… are you okay? God… I'm so sorry… it was an accident… I should never have…"

Sara took a deep breath, "That… wasn't exactly how I pictured our first kiss…" she whispered hoarsely and smiled weakly up at Grissom.

Grissom shook his head incredulously at Sara and whispered, "God… I love you…" as he gazed in wonderment at **her smile--her beautiful, beautiful smile.**

FIN


End file.
